


Light and Ashes

by OfFireAndMars



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Adventure, ChanBaek - Freeform, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasy, Happy Ending, M/M, Magic User!Baekhyun, Prince!Chanyeol, Romance, Slight Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-06 04:49:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17338889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfFireAndMars/pseuds/OfFireAndMars
Summary: In the dead of night, Prince Chanyeol comes face to face with magister Baekhyun who seeks something Chanyeol is not willing to part with. But when Chanyeol has to give up himself for the sake of his kingdom, does he realize his own power and joins forces with the love of his life to stop the world from ending.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was hit with a sudden burst of inspiration to write and this was the result. I'm sorry if there are any plot holes or if some things just don't make sense. I didn't plan this out. I literally wrote whatever came to mind. Still I hope you enjoy it! (⋆❛ ہ ❛⋆)⊃▂✫⌒*･ﾟ✲

It was cold, unnaturally so. The darkening clouds rumbled their anger in the distance. Shocking streaks of lightning threatened the sky and the wind, as tenacious as ever, rushed over the earth in invisible waves. And yet, the rain would not come. Slowly, ever so slowly, he stepped with hushed feet down the stone corridor. If a mouse so much as squeaked the entire castle would be up in arms. Mustering up all the concentration he could, he wrapped himself in a bubble of silence, his magic flowing out of him like static electricity. It silenced his footsteps and shadowed his body, blending him in seamlessly with the darkness.

_Where is it? Oh, for fuck’s sake! Where the fuck is it?_ His eyes darted every which way, scanning the towering oak doors on the left and searching even the smallest cracks in the walls. He was on a mission and damned be he if he failed. No, he wouldn’t, _couldn’t_ , let that happen. He arrived at the end of the corridor- two pathways splitting north and south. _Where to now?_ He thought. It was like making a decision on head or tails, on chance. So he whispered a little spell to reveal the true direction.

_Croak croak the toad will know_

_Which is the righteous way to go_

_Give him a kiss, kindness you’ll show_

_…_

_Um…_

_...Bibbidi bobbidi...bo?_

Not willing to admit he forgot the spell, he quickly spun on his heels and headed south. One couldn’t blame him though. For all the stress he was under, remembering a little poem was _the_ last thing on his mind. He walked hastily down the pebbled pathway, almost breaking out into a sprint. There were less doors down this corridor but the lanterns on the walls were lit. That meant someone’s quarters were here. He had to be careful. His magic was not very powerful this night; he could feel it seeping out his body unwillingly, leaving him drained of energy. The thought that he was slowly dying was not a welcomed one.

There was a door slightly ajar, a golden hue saturating the darkness of the night. He crept closer, ever so conscious of where his toes touched, and maneuvering his body to stay hidden in odd angles, he peered through into the room. It was a room for a royal, heavily decorated with lavish velvet draperies and sheets of Egyptian cotton. But this was not what caught his eye. There on the bed, two naked bodies collided with each other, arms and hands gripping tight around slender waists, hips rutting back and forth and lips melded together in hungry, lustful kisses. And god, the moans! And not to mention the stench of sex filling the air. But the magister held his own. _This_ was what he was looking for. The Golden Eye lay just a few meters away from his grasp. He watched as the lovers pushed and pulled, the bed groaning under the pressure and when they reached their climax, he wondered how the rest of the castle didn’t hear the screams of euphoria that floated out the room. And all he could do was wait and grimace. Sex never much appealed to him. He didn’t understand why people were so manic about it.

A little more than a half an hour later, the two lay in a deep sleep, totally exhausted. Now was his chance. Pushing the door open just enough to accommodate his petite form, he slipped in as silent as the dead. But his magic was draining and the slight noises of his feet on the cold floor sounded like a clash in his ears. He glanced at the lovers. _Good,_ he thought. They hadn’t stirred. Slowly, he shuffled closer to the taller of the two, the one with a bold lock of black hair hanging over his forehead. Soft sounds of breath escaped the man’s lips, his chest working up and down languidly. The magister stared for a while although he didn’t mean to. It was just that this man seemed so ethereal in his beauty. _No wonder the kingdom adores him, this prince_. He edged closer, reaching out his hand, his fingers ready to pry out the Golden Eye, when a moment he dreaded happened. His energy flew out of him like a bird free from its cage. His magic was gone and his heart was beating uncontrollably, trying to pump blood through his body and keep him alive. But it was no use. His muscles couldn’t hold him up anymore and weakness seeped through every fiber of his body, intoxicating him like a poison. Still, he tried. He was panting now, his outstretched arm shaking like a lone leaf in a storm. He reached and…

His body collapsed onto the floor. The noise was deafening even to his blood clotted ears. The two lovers sprang up out of fright and the prince drew his sword, laying the sharpened tip on the magister’s throat.

“Baekhyun.” The prince said, his voice gravel from his little mingle in the sheets earlier with his lover. But the magister could very clearly hear the threat shimmering beneath the deep undertones of his voice. “Sehun,” The prince turned to his lover. “Give us a moment.” But his lover shook his head, refusing to move.

“No, my lord. What if he tries to kill you? I shall summon the guards.” The prince muttered a string of curses and withdrew the sword from the magister’s throat, pointing it towards the door.

“Get. Out. And don’t tell a soul. You hear me? Or else I’ll have your head hanging on a pike outside the castle.”

The magister couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle at the ridiculous expression marring the lover’s face. He seemed like a frightened lamb and the magister wondered what ever the prince saw in him. Sehun rushed out the room, holding his garments over his nakedness and shutting the door behind him. And then silence.

The prince studied the magister, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion and... concern? But the magister didn’t want to believe that. He turned the other way, eyes casted down and concentrated all his efforts on regulating his breathing.

“What happened?” The prince asked but the magister refused to speak. Could he even speak? His throat was desert dry, his tongue felt like it had swollen twice in size and his chest was closing up, suffocating him.

“Baekhyun.” The prince called. Now there was no doubt that there was concern from the prince. He got off the bed and gingerly knelt down beside the magister, taking his slender hands off the floor and wrapping his arms around him, he carefully pulled him off the cold stone and laid him on the bed.

“Baekhyun,” The prince repeated, this time softer. He brushed the magister’s sweaty bangs out of his eyes, and trailed his fine princely hands down the side of his face, cupping the magister’s jaw and tilting his head so that they could look eye to eye. “What happened?” He asked again gently. The prince’s thumb brushed over Baekhyun’s bottom lip and the magister tensed at the sensation coursing through his body. With magic gone, he was rendered a mere human and with that, human nature in all it’s ugly glory came back to him. He felt fear for the first time in years. He felt an emotion, a pull somewhere deep inside him, that yearned to be closer to the prince, to have the prince hold him and touch him. He wanted the prince to run his thumb over his lips again, to suckle on those fingers and feel them inside him. He wanted to reenact what the prince had done with his lover earlier on. Wordlessly, he peered back at the prince with honey glazed eyes. He wet his lips and brought one unsteady hand up to graze at the prince’s soft shaven face.

The next moment, the prince’s lips were on his own, sucking and nibbling, hushed whines and sighs running out the magister’s mouth into the prince’s. It felt good and he began to slowly understand why mortals were so enraged with sex and attraction. He felt it now and he wanted more.

“Chanyeol,” he whispered when the prince redirected his plump rosy lips to the side of the magister’s neck, sucking on pure porcelain skin and leaving blooming patches of want in its wake. “Chanyeol, I-I need it.” The prince pulled back with a smirk adorning his terribly handsome face.

“You want it, Baekhyun?” He asked in a most sultry and delicious kind of voice that had the magister stretching his legs apart and eagerly trying to claw away the fabric confines on his body.  

“I need it.” Chanyeol brushed Baekhyun’s hands away, cupping them above his head and with one strong hand, held him by the wrists in an unbreakable grip. With his free hand, Chanyeol undid Baekhyun’s buckle and tore loose the strings that bound around his waist.

“I’ll give it to you then.” The prince replied. He pulled at Baekhyun’s trousers, roughly egging the cloth down his thighs. And when the magister was bare and showing himself for all to see, the prince gripped his shirt and pulled the buttons apart, the force so strong, a few of them popped off. Bending down, Chanyeol licked a broad stripe up Baekhyun’s naked chest, and nipped on his nipple until the magister was keening from arousal.

“Do you promise, Chanyeol?” His hands were still stuck in a vice-like grip and his erection was achingly hard. All he wanted was for the prince to be all over him, shoving and pushing and biting and groaning. He tried to tug his arms free but the prince was relentless.

“I promise. I’ll give you what you want, Baekhyun.”

Their lips clashed again, hard and desperate. Baekhyun arched his back, seeking attention, some sort of friction from Chanyeol. There was heat and fever, as the prince settled between the magister’s open legs and rutted against him in animalistic desire. The warmth of tongue and saliva enveloping his mouth was an aphrodisiac; he never knew another person’s wetness could taste so good. As their tongues danced in a battle of ownership, their bodies moved against each other and Baekhyun, lost in habitual human desire, hooked a thigh around the prince’s waist and drew him closer. He could feel Chanyeol’s hardness against him, hot and dripping. The prince’s balls teased against his own and he mewled at the warm tingling sensation ripping through his body, setting him alight.

For a moment, he forgot he was dying.

“Are you ready, my magister?” The prince said as he finally freed Baekhyun’s wrists and sat up on his hunches to gaze down at the shivering and panting magister lying like an absolute mess on the bed. He brought one of Baekhyun’s thighs up, folding him in half and then coated his index finger with a large dollop of spit.

“W-what are you going to do with that?” Baekhyun asked breathless. Of course he knew what was happening but he wanted the prince to talk to him, to have his voice filling his ears.

“You’ll see.” A teasing smile stretched across his lips as he brought his finger to the magister’s ass and poked at the pink swell until the tip breached through. Baekhyun gasped at the intrusion, his hands flying to squeeze at the prince’s biceps. Then the prince pushed in more until his knuckle was buried in deep and the magister thrashed his head on the pillow because the burn was harsh and his body kept fighting against it. When the prince had his entire finger in, he steadily pulled it out and then pushed in again, urging the soft walls tightening around him to loosen and relax instead. He bent down and dropped another glob of saliva and then added a second finger, stretching and coaxing the muscle to open wider.

Baekhyun had gripped so hard around Chanyeol’s arms that he was shocked to see streaks of pink flesh breaking out on the otherwise flawless skin. He didn’t care though. He could only feel the odd sensation of fingers inside his asshole, brushing up and down and the strange breeze of air that filtered through whenever the prince had withdrawn his fingers completely. When the prince added a third finger, he bent down to bite at the magister’s lips, pulling the satin petals of his mouth and licking his teeth, his tongue, everywhere he could reach.

“Baekhyun,” The prince began. He laid himself on top of the magister, his heat enveloping the small form underneath him. He motioned for Baekhyun’s thighs to wrap themselves around him, hooking his ankles at the small of his back. “I need you to know,” He was talking but Baekhyun was so lost on a cloud of pure heaven that he hardly heard. “I have always loved you.” The magister could only hum as a response but when he felt himself pulled apart and something hot and slick pushed inside him, he screamed and clawed at the prince’s back, locking his legs so tight around the man’s waist, that the prince struggled to move further in.

“Relax, beautiful.” He had said and Baekhyun had tried to do so. It wasn’t as painful as he thought, the feeling took him by surprise more than by pain, but he still wondered if it would be like this every time he decided to have sex. If that was the case, he wasn’t sure he could ever do this again. Chanyeol was inside him, on top of him, their lips kissing unhurriedly and their hands tenderly brushing against sweaty skin. When the prince started moving, hitching his hips back and forth, Baekhyun almost lay limb in his embrace as the fire of euphoria took hold of his tension and rendered him boneless.

The prince was gentle and kind as he positioned their bodies for Baekhyun’s maximum comfort. He occasionally gazed down at the magister in concern, silently asking him if he was okay, if he wanted to stop. But the magister merely clung tighter and moved his body in accordance with the prince until they fell into a rhythm of sweltering naked limbs moving like waves on the bed. It felt glorious; Baekhyun felt complete and the prince pistoned faster and more erratically, burying his face in the crook of Baekhyun’s neck and groaning without any reservation.  

Rotating their bodies, Chanyeol laid his head on the pillow as Baekhyun straddled his waist, supple thighs on either side, gripping tightly. The magister trailed his hands down the prince’s chest, tentatively studying the soft cells of his body and marveling at the tough muscle beneath. He could still feel the prince’s hardness inside him, as hot as ever, and it pushed in further the more he settled on the man’s lap, impaling himself until a buzz wrecked through his body and he bolted up slightly only to hunch down again. He continued to lift himself up and down, waiting for that sweet buzz to ripple through him again and again. The prince snapped his waist up while holding onto those thighs he so loved. Sweat was pouring from his body like raindrops and the air was becoming heavier with ambitious lust. Chanyeol thought he would come when Baekhyun leaned back onto his hands and pushed away ever so slightly, only to bury Chanyeol within him once more. The wet squelching sounds like a song made by two lovers, their moans like singing as their bodies made music together.

When the magister couldn’t take the burn in his legs, the exhaustion becoming too much, Chanyeol sat up and wrapped his arms around the magister’s torso, holding him tightly in place and then driving the his body up and down on his erection in a maddening quick pace. Baekhyun couldn’t hold his voice any longer, the feeling growing overwhelming as electric currents charged through him, swelling up his cock even more until he was shaking with orgasm, spilling his come between him and the prince. His body convulsed until he fell drained against the strong chest of the prince. He heard Chanyeol grunt once or twice and then a sense of throbbing filled his asshole, along with something very wet and sticky. They tipped over onto the bed, the prince slipping out and Baekhyun whining at the feeling of a emptiness.

 

There was peace and silence around them, Baekhyun forgetting about his magister duties until he woke up with a start and glared at the prince lying with a smile in his arms.

“Give it to me.” The magister spoke, his voice edging on dark and dangerous. The prince looked up in confusion and then scoffed and said mockingly; “Give it to you? I just did. You want to go for round two?”

Baekhyun sat up, his hands ready to claw and fight. “You promised, Chanyeol.”

“Now, now.” The prince said, holding his hands up in defense. Baekhyun was angry and an angry Baekhyun wasn’t something he ever wanted to face, not without an army of men behind him. “I gave you what you wanted.” He argued but the magister rolled his eyes.

“You obviously didn’t. What are you talking about?”

“Sex! Obviously.” The prince retorted. The two men stared at each other in pure confusion until Baekhyun shouted into the cold night air. “Sex?! What the fuck made you think I wanted _sex_ , you brainless idiot?!”. He tried moving off the bed, grabbing his garments to clothe his body but a pain so intense, he felt tears prickling his eyes, shot up his backside and he fell limp onto the bed.

“What did you do to me, you asshole?” He croaked as the prince simply stared.

“You had that look in your eyes and you were trying to take your clothes off. Why on earth _wouldn't_ I think you wanted sex?”. Tentatively, as if approaching a snake, the prince moved closer to the magister and when he touched the naked man, Baekhyun flinched as if signed by a fire. “Relax.” The prince coaxed. “Let me massage your back. I’ll make it feel better.” Baekhyun regarded him for a moment before turning on his side and allowing the prince to place a warm hand over the small of his back. He didn’t mean to moan at the contact but the feeling of his muscles loosening and the pain subsiding was incredible.

“What happened to your magic?” The prince asked after a moment of calm. He had noticed the terrible state the magister was in. His skin was ghostly and even after they had settled down, the magister was still out of breath. And when he touched him, Baekhyun felt cold, like the dead.

“I was attacked. On my way to the castle.” The magister relented. Chanyeol was surprised. The magister was never this honest with him, and not so easily either. Perhaps sex was really what the man needed to unwind.

“Who attacked you? The palace guards? Another magister? Maybe a witch? The city has been infiltrated with those scum over the last few weeks. They say it’s the plague happening in the east.”

“It’s not a plague, Chanyeol. And it’s going to happen here too. That’s why I need it.” He moved away from the prince and turned around to look at him. _Lord, is he handsome._ He leaned in and brushed his lips against Chanyeol’s, absorbing the small sigh the prince let out. “Everyone here is in danger.” The prince studied him for a moment, like trying to solve a puzzle that just didn’t make sense. And then his eyes widened alarmingly when Baekhyun coughed and blood splattered from his mouth. “What is happening?!” Chanyeol shouted, trying to grab hold of something to wipe the sticky red ooze.

 

“I’m dying.” And Chanyeol’s world stopped.

 

“What…” It made sense now. The way Baekhyun was acting around him. The fact that Chanyeol had been trying for years and only succeeded in laying with the magister now. And that he looked like death. There was no denying it but he wanted to. He wanted Baekhyun to be lying to him. “No.” he said and it sounded so weak and feeble in his mind. “No, I-I can’t lose you.”

Baekhyun trailed a hand through the prince’s hair and down his face, cupping his chin. He smiled at him, a smile so soft and so full of kindness that the prince’s eyes clouded over with tears. “It’s going to be okay, my prince. I’ll protect you. But I need you to give it to me. You promised.”

With wet cheeks and a heart heavy with lead, the prince grabbed the magister’s hands. “What is it you need? I’ll give you anything if it is to save you, no one else but you, Baekhyun.”

There was a commotion coming from outside the door. The palace guards must have been tipped off about an intruder’s presence. Their time was short. “The Golden Eye. Give it to me now. That’s why I’m here.” Baekhyun glanced anxiously at the door as resounding footsteps echoed harshly in the stillness of the night. But when he turned back to the prince, he gasped at the look of pure fury painting his features. He was sure that if the prince didn’t love him, he would be killed by those strong, beautiful hands. The door burst open and the commanding officer and his troops piled into the prince’s chambers, pointing their swords at the magister. But Baekhyun didn’t look at them, not even a single glance. He was staring at Chanyeol who stared back, an intense battle raging between the two. “Please.” The magister whispered and then he was seized, cuffed and dragged out the room in all his naked glory.

Chanyeol was left alone with the commanding officer who ran over to the prince and grabbed his arms, shouting at the prince to tell him where he was injured. “Stop, I’m not injured.” He shoved the officer away.

“But Sire, there is blood.” Chanyeol glanced down at the stained sheets. Blood. The blood of his true love. Is this what he will be left with when the time comes? When he has to bury his soul, are blood soaked sheets the only reminder he can hold onto?

“It’s not mine.” He whispered and indicated for the officer to leave. He had much thinking to do.

Baekhyun had asked him for the Golden Eye. Knowing himself, Chanyeol would do anything for the man. But this was...tricky. If he pulled his eye out, he would lose his eyesight completely no matter that the other eye was in perfect condition. And if he lost his eyesight, he would be cast out of the castle and the kingdom. He would be labelled as diseased and cursed, a man to die rotting on the outskirts where the desert storms took lives without mercy. Could he subject himself to all that? For the sake of his loved one? And who knew if Baekhyun returned Chanyeol’s affection. In all the years the two have known each other, Baekhyun had always been distant and cold towards the prince. But when the prince learned that Baekhyun had once secretly risked his life so that the prince could live in safety, it tugged at his heart and alighted a hope that yes, perhaps Baekhyun felt the same.

 

Still, was it worth giving up his life for another?

 

Desperate to talk to Baekhyun, he flung on loose trousers and a shirt and rushed towards the prison cellars. He was alarmed to see blotches of blood staining the stone until he arrived at the darkness of the prison. The guards let him through and he hurried with frantic steps towards Baekhyun’s cell. Did he make it in time? Was he too late? Thankfully, the magister was sitting upright and though he seemed out of breath and cold, he was looking around with eyes bright with life.

“We need to talk.” Chanyeol stated as he pulled his shirt off and pushed it through the cell bars towards Baekhyun, still naked and shivering. At first the magister made no motion to move, but the cold was too much in the end. He grabbed the shirt and once on, he was pleased it was quite large so that it covered most of his body.

“Why are you smiling?” The magister asked when Chanyeol continued to stare at the naked bits of thigh the prince’s shirt could not cover.

He cleared his throat and schooled his expression. “No reason. This is serious. Do you know what will happen to me if I give you my eye?” Baekhyun was silent. Of course he knew. If there was anyone who knew anything about the Golden Eye, it was Baekhyun. Still, he remained silent until a cackle of a laugh rippled through the air, stunning the two. Chanyeol blindly reached for his sword, usually perched by his side, and panicked when his fingers gripped air instead. Baekhyun sought within to access magic when he remembered he had none left. They were both defenseless.

“Shit! A witch. How did she get in here?” Chanyeol shouted. He was about to call out to the guards stationed at the foot of the cellar when a dark figure descended towards them. The prince froze. Fear wrapped its agonizing tentacles around him, squeezing and suffocating.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun whispered from behind bars. “Get out here. Quick!”

“Where do you expect me to go, huh?” He asked anxiously, eyes darting every which way for an escape. “The only way out is the way that witch is coming from.”

The figure grew closer and grew in height until it stopped a few feet away from the prince. Chanyeol and Baekhyun held their breath, their hearts banging against their chests violently, until the figure pulled his hood down and revealed his face.

“For fuck’s sake, Jongdae. You almost made me shit myself.” Baekhyun slumped down on the cold floor again, leaning his head against the bars in tired surrender.

“Baekhyun, you could have told me your bonehead of a friend was coming.” The prince muttered as he began to relax, sitting on the floor near his magister.

“I didn’t know he was coming. What am I? A fucking fortune teller?” As the two argued, Jongdae stepped forth and suddenly the deathly chill from the winter’s night was replaced with comfortable warmth. Baekhyun smiled up at Jongdae in gratitude. He would have tampered with the temperature if he had enough magic left to use.

“Well, lookie here. A half naked prince and a caged magister. You two make quite a pair, I must say.”

“How did you know to come here?” Asked Chanyeol. He so desperately wanted to hold his magister’s hand, to make sure Baekhyun was warming up and not remaining a state of lifeless cold. But he wouldn’t dare reach for physical contact with Jongdae, a fellow magister, around.

“I could feel a shift in the air.” Jongdae said. “Something is coming, something menacing and so evil, I can smell its stench from here.” His words echoed around the empty cellar like a call of death. Chanyeol started shivering and not from the winter air but from the threat of spoken words. “And,” Jongdae pointed towards the caged magister. “I knew you were losing your magic. Our bonds are tied, remember? I know when something’s up with you, except for when you’re mortal. So when I suddenly felt emptiness when I reached out for you, I knew there were two options. Either you were dead or worse, a human.” The prince rolled his eyes at the remark. Jongdae was a magister who was truly disgusted by the mortal race, even though technically, he was one too. It was the magic that gave him a long life, that slowed down the hands of time and kept his skin youthful and clear, that held his bones together with strength. But Chanyeol met magisters who looked as young as teens but whose minds were long gone, aged beyond repair. A magister could keep up appearances, but no magic, no matter how powerful, could stop the decaying of the mind.

“Jongdae, are you here to help me or rant about your affliction with the human race?” The caged magister called from behind bars. His voice was getting weaker; it was clear to all ears and although Jongdae upped the temperature, Baekhyun still shivered as if he was sitting in a castle of ice.

“To help, of course.” The magister stepped past the prince and the next moment, he was inside Baekhyun’s prison, hugging him and holding him close. The prince scowled at this close contact between the two. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t care if Baekhyun was _friendly_ with others from time to time; he just didn’t want to bear witness to it.

“Oh, hold your panties on, Mister Prince.” Jongdae teased. “I’m not trying to feel up your lover here. I’m just transferring magic to him. It’ll be over in a moment.” From where Chanyeol could see, Baekhyun looked to be fast asleep. But there was color returning to his face, his cheeks becoming a shimmering rosy hue, the tint of his skin becoming more vibrant and less ghastly. His hair even looked to have sprung up somewhat, gaining more volume and shine. And his lips, those beautiful, delicious pillows becoming a stain of red and something Chanyeol would very much like to kiss.

When it was over, Jongdae stepped away. Baekhyun swayed on his feet for a while before regaining his balance and bearings. When Chanyeol looked up again, both magisters were out from behind bars and standing directly in front of him.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun said, his voice as strong as the prince always remembered it to be. There was something homely about hearing his voice, Chanyeol felt, like it was where he truly belonged. “I need the Eye.” The magister stated. “A war is coming and your Eye is the only weapon strong enough to save us all. This isn’t about you or me. This is the world as we know it at stake. Do you understand?”

Chanyeol took a step back. What Baekhyun was asking was too much. “It’s easy for you say!” He spat. “After all this, what will happen to me? Huh? Tell me!” His anger rose in flames, clawing to the surface of his skin. “Is that all you magisters ever do? You take and take and take and leave  _nothing_ behind. That’s what I’ll become to you, too. Nothing! I’ll die out in the wasteland and you won’t even blink an eye-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence when a pair of warm soft lips clashed against his own. Baekhyun was kissing him and Chanyeol felt weak. He wrapped his arms around the magister’s slender waist, bringing him impossibly close and kissed back feverently. This is what he wanted, what he _needed_. He would give it all up if he could have this every day.

“Do you trust me?” whispered Baekhyun against the prince’s lips.

“No.” He replied. His eyes were still closed, concentrating on the magister’s breath blowing across his face.

“Well then trust me, Chanyeol. I know you better than anyone else. If I say you’ll be just fine without your Eye, then you will be.” Chanyeol stepped back, loosening his arms around the male.

“How do you know this?” He pleaded. This was not a joke to him; his livelihood was nothing to place bets and chances on. If Baekhyun was so certain, he had to prove it to him. “Prove it to me. Go on, do it.” But the magister shook his head no.

“I can’t. You’re the only one who can prove such a thing to yourself.”

“Oh, stop talking in riddles, Baekhyun. What you think you are? Some ancient wizard? Some Wise One from the heavens? You’re nothing like that. You’re just a human boy who was saved by a reckless magister. You said it yourself, you can’t foretell the future. You have no idea what will happen to me.” Chanyeol was heaving by the time he was done. He felt like a world of stress had just been dumped on his shoulders.

“You talk too much.” Baekhyun said before attacking Chanyeol’s lips again, slipping his tongue into the prince’s heat and pushing the man up against the wall. He hooked a bare thigh around Chanyeol’s waist and rutted up against him, urging the prince to moan out and grow hard in his trousers.

“J-jongdae,” the prince interrupted, eyes scanning the darkened cellar only to find they were the only two there.

“He’s long gone, silly.” The magister said as he trailed hot sticky kisses along the prince’s neck, nibbling along his tendons and licking at the beads of sweat gathered there.

“Still, Baekhyun. We can’t do this here. Not now.” And they pulled apart.

“Maybe you’ve been right all along.” The magister twirled his fingers in the air, tiny sparks exploding silently, until he was fully clothed in pure black garments. Chanyeol frowned at this. He liked his magister to be wearing his shirt with nothing underneath. “Maybe we are soulmates.” He stated and Chanyeol raised his head to meet the magister’s eyes in disbelief.

“Why are you saying this now?” The magister maneuvered his hands through the air, configuring complicated signs the prince could not understand. Then suddenly, a hole through the wall appeared and beyond that, Chanyeol could see a forest, the sun shining and various colors appetizing his sight.

“Come with me.” Baekhyun held out his hand. He was looking up at the prince, eyes filled with adoration, though the prince didn’t want to believe it. He still was not certain Baekhyun felt for him the way he felt for the magister. But what to do? Stay here at the castle? He loved his kingdom but his heart ached for his magister. So he grabbed hold of his hand and together they walked through the portal. 


	2. Chapter 2

The forest was magnificent in its twilight state. The prince stood in awe as he gazed up at the towering giant sequoia trees that reached endlessly towards the clouds. Vibrant hues of green saturated the forest floor and purple, red and orange birds tittered about. Soft yellow streams of light filtered the air and everything smelled so fresh, so clean. This was the epitome of paradise, the prince thought. He turned to face the magister and his breath caught in his throat. Here in the light, it seemed as if Baekhyun was glowing like some heavenly being, and if told so, Chanyeol would believe it without a doubt. 

 

“Where to now, my magister?” He asked, feigning confidence in Baekhyun’s decision to bring him here. Truth be told though, Chanyeol was afraid of the magister’s intentions. He didn’t think the man had the prince’s best interests at heart, that he selfishly brought the prince to a secluded area so that, along with his awakened magic, would be able to pluck the Golden Eye out from its socket. The prince would be left bleeding and powerless, blind and alone. So secretly he was on guard as the magister moved about the forest, bending down to gather dry twigs and dead branches. “What are you doing with those?” The prince pointed towards the growing bundle in the magister’s arms. 

 

“You’ll find out.” Baekhyun replied. When the pile became too big, he dumped it on the ground, on a curve of a weeping willow and proceeded to gather more. 

“Perhaps a fire? It is getting dark after all.” The prince inquired. 

“Well, yes and no. More like a nest.” Baekhyun said, studying a particularly long branch and when he deemed it satisfactory enough, he nodded his head and added it to the bundle. 

“A nest? For what exactly? And do you want me to help?” Of course, he didn’t really want to help, but standing around idly, ringing his hands in confusion and boredom wasn’t something he wanted to continue doing. 

“No, you wouldn’t know the right ones to choose. You can just sit over there.” The magister indicated next to the bundle he placed by the tree and ignored the prince’s scoffing and darkening mood. Once the magister had gathered enough, he started rearranging his findings so that they resembled a tremendous bird’s nest. 

“What bird is  _ that  _ for?” The prince wondered. The size was quite large, too large for any bird he had even known to exist. 

“A phoenix.” The magister replied simply and Chanyeol gasped at his answer. 

“Are you insane?! They are mythical, fantasy. Not. Real.” But the magister seemed to close his ears to anything that spewed from the prince’s mouth. 

 

When Baekhyun was done, he settled beside the prince and taking his hand gently, he entwined their fingers together, and lay his head to rest on the prince’s shoulder. “You know that I’ll protect you, right?” The magister whispered. The sky was beginning to darken but the earth wouldn’t be as pitch-black as the kingdom because here there were stars, billions lighting up the sky and the moon, though hidden by the canopy of the trees, still shone brightly through, penetrating the darkness. 

“I don’t know it that’s true, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol replied honestly. Baekhyun had seldom shown kindness to him, and yet, he couldn’t help but understand the magister’s heart. As much as he wanted to deny it, in the back of his mind, he knew Baekhyun loved him too. 

“Do you love me, Baekhyun?” Did he really want to know the answer that would be spoken from the magister’s mouth?

“Chanyeol, magister’s don’t feel human emotion. Love is not a concept I can carry within me. It’s not something I can soften myself for.” Chanyeol took a deep breath, disappointment laying heavy on his heart. “But,” the magister continued. “Throughout my years, I have always, somehow, retained my humanity. I have always  _ felt _ and I have always  _ loved. _ ” The prince snapped his head to stare at him, unbelieving of his words. “When I lost my magic and we made love, I was fully human and I felt as a human would. When Jongdae awakened magic within me, that didn’t change. I was awakened to an emotion so strong, no magic would detach me from it. That’s why you’re here with me. That’s why I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I will protect you, Chanyeol. Because I love you.” 

 

And that’s all the prince really ever needed to hear. He pulled the magister towards him and kissed him passionately, allowing his desperation, his  _ need _ , to flower forth from his kisses and his body. Could Baekhyun feel his heart this way? The magister stradded the prince’s hips as they sucked at each other’s lips, moaning as their bodies came alive from the other’s touch.  _ Thank goodness we’re alone here, _ the prince thought as he felt himself grow harder the more Baekhyun slid his hips down on his pelvis. The magister grabbed skin with his teeth, teasing and nibbling until the prince was groaning from pleasurable pain. He felt his balls tighten and an insatiable desire to be inside the magister just like before. 

 

As if Baekhyun knew how the prince felt, he slowly pushed himself off Chanyeol’s lap and reached down to undo the prince’s trousers, tugging them ever so teasingly over the man’s hips and freeing his red hot erection. Chanyeol broke out into a sweat when he realised just what the magister was planning so he watched as Baekhyun wet his lips, swiping his tongue languidly over the swollen pink pillows of his mouth, and then leaning forward, he breathed hot breaths over the prince’s cock. Chanyeol gasped and shuddered, his body rendering him uncontrolled and wild. This tiny man before him held all power over him. His brain short circuited when Baekhyun stretched his tongue out and gave a solid long lick over the head of his cock, then twirling his tongue around gathering sprouting beads of precome. Chanyeol unintentionally mewled out the magister’s name which gained him a naughty smirk before Baekhyun deep throated the prince’s hardness. Chanyeol grabbed onto anything he could; bits of bark from the tree, the low-hanging leaves from the willow tree, but when the magister took hold of his hand and guided it to his head, Chanyeol grabbed onto Baekhyun’s hair and pulled that instead. 

 

The magister bopped his head as he sucked and softly grazed his teeth against the sensitive flesh. He fondled the prince’s balls and groaned out when the prince pulled at his hair especially harshly. When he popped the prince’s cock out his mouth, he took in a few breaths and stared at the wrecked man before him. How beautiful and delicious the prince looked! Chanyeol was panting now, his chest heaving, forehead sweaty and muscles tense. Baekhyun felt an unexplainable delight at knowing he was the one to make the prince feel this way, look this way. And right now, the prince was showing his vulnerable, passionate side only to him, his magister. 

 

“Is this what I’ve been missing out on the entire time?” Baekhyun asked. He let go of the prince’s cock and took his clothes off. He settled himself on the ground, lying on his stomach with his ass up in the air. “Come my prince.” he called. “Will you ride my like this?” Chanyeol didn’t need to be asked twice. He immediately gathered control over his limbs and pushed himself from the curve of the tree he had been positioned on. He lied on top of Baekhyun, directing his cock to the curve of the magister’s ass, and wrapped his arms loosely around him. Thrusting up, he sighed at the pleasure coursing through his body as he felt himself slide up and down Baekhyun’s crack. And then he stopped, burying his head in the magister’s hair and just held him. 

 

“If I give you my Eye, we would never be able to be like this again.” The prince admonished. 

“You know nothing, Prince Chanyeol. Now get in me.” Baekhyun lifted his ass up higher, rubbing his cheeks against the prince until the man relented. He coated his erection with a layer of saliva and then pushed in, edging himself slowly inside the magister’s heat. From here they built up a rhythm, pushing and groaning, shoving and gripping whatever flesh their hands could find. Chanyeol felt his worries swooning. All he could focus on was  _ Baekhyun Baekhyun Baekhyun;  _ the magister’s soft skin, his natural scent of musk and sweat, the taste of his lips and his greedy heat sucking Chanyeol in more and more. 

 

He snaked a hand up the magister’s chest, tweaking a nipple and leaning down to bite little bruises on Baekhyun’s shoulders. And when the magister whimpered, the prince pushed himself deeper, as far as he could go. Never had the prince been turned on like this. He felt a hunger gnawing somewhere unknown in him, an unquenchable thirst that wanted to wrap its arms around the magister and hold tight forever. He never wanted to let the man go, not for as long as he would be alive. 

 

When Baekhyun started undulating his hips rather erratically, falling out of rhythm, the prince knew he was on edge. He gripped the magister’s erection, and pumped him fast. Baekhyun’s voice carried through the wind, loud sighs and sobs and then he started shaking, his come coating Chanyeol’s hand. The prince came too then, harsh thrusts in the magister’s backside, his breath thick and hot in Baekhyun’s ear. And when it was all over, they still lay together, the prince pulling out his flaccid cock, but tightening his arms about Baekhyun. They shuffled onto their sides, and like this, lay in a dreamstate under the stars. 

 

A moment of silence had passed before the magister spoke up. “There’s something I must tell you. Will you listen? Only if you heed my words with an open mind, will I tell you what I know.” The prince felt a sense of dread taking root. Baekhyun sounded too serious after their foray on the forest floor. But if the magister was telling him this, then there was some heaviness to his truth and the prince wanted to know,  _ needed _ to know. Baekhyun turned around in the prince’s arms and looked him in the eye. 

“Okay. I promise.” The prince said. 

“Oh, we we all know about your  _ promises _ , dear prince.” Baekhyun snickered. 

“Hey! I thought we were talking about sex then. I would never have promised my Eye. You know that.” Chanyeol insisted. 

“I know.” The magister said gently. He trailed one hand through the prince’s dark locks and smiled so small and tenderly that the prince could not stop staring. “Tell me, Baekhyun.” He whispered. 

 

So the magister took a deep sigh and divulged his truth. “Before I came to the castle, I was attacked. I’m sure you knew this already. But who attacked me? I remember you asking something along those lines. They were the Devils of Dark.” 

When Chanyeol heard this, he gasped and froze in shock. “It can’t be. Are you positively sure it was them?” He said disbelieving. 

“It’s true. I’ve been aware of their presence for quite some time now. All those plagues happening in the distant lands are because of them. And they’re coming to the kingdom within the break of dawn.” Baekhyun stated. It’s understandable at how Chanyeol reacted. The Devils of Dark were the keepers of the apocalypse. For thousands of years they had been in hiding, waiting for the day the world was set to burn. According to tales of old, when the Devils of Dark showed themselves, it marked the end of the world. 

 

“But-but you’re okay, right?” Chanyeol asked worried. 

“Chanyeol, I was dying. It took everything in me to just run away from them. I couldn’t fight them. Thanks to Jongdae, I’m alright now. But that’s why I came to you. Legend says that only the Golden Eye and the Phoenix could stop the Devils of Dark and set the world right again.” 

But the prince didn’t want to hear any of this. He wished he could stuff his ears with his fingers and sing a random tune to stop the flow of Baekhyun’s words. 

“What good will it be,” the magister was saying, “if the world ends and you still have your sight? Will you die a pig of a prince, a man who could have saved his people and decided not to, all for the sake of vanity?” 

The prince was bubbling with fury. “It’s not vanity!” He scoffed. “It’s my entire livelihood. Everything I am. This goes far beyond looks, Baekhyun.” 

“No, it doesn’t.” the magister argued. “You’re just too stupid to understand that the world is greater than little old you. The sun doesn’t shine out your ass. You’re not the means to an end. You’re  _ nothing.  _ Without you, the world would turn just fine.” Chanyeol couldn’t stand it anymore. He pulled away from Baekhyun and got up from the ground. Grabbing his trousers, he stalked off into the night. 

 

“Where the fuck are you going, you coward?!” Baekhyun shouted and ran after him. By the time he reached the prince, the magister’s nakedness was already covered with sourcery garments, flapping wildly in the wind. When he grabbed the prince’s hand, Chanyeol ripped it away harshly and turned around with a scowl on his face. 

“I thought, somewhere deep inside you, that you cared for me!” He bellowed at the magister. “I thought, it’s fine if I lose everything. As long as Baekhyun still accepts me, then it’s fine. It’s fucking fine. But look at you.” He took a step back and pointed. “After all this time, you still don’t know my heart.” When he looked up again, Baekhyun could see tears flowing down the prince’s face. And he knew. He knew the sadness the prince felt because he could feel it too. 

 

Slowly, as if approaching a wounded animal, Baekhyun stepped closer until he could touch the prince’s face and wipe his tears. 

“How much do you love me, Chanyeol?” He asked softly. “If I asked you to give me your Eye for  _ my  _ sake, not anyone else's, would you do it?” The prince looked up at him quizzically. It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but he knew he had made up his mind a long time ago. 

“No.” He whispered. “Not if it cost the lives of my people.” His shoulders slumped when he realized. This entire time, he had just been fighting against it, but he knew what he would inevitably do. “I can’t give you my Eye just for  _ your  _ sake, Baekhyun. But if you and all my people could be saved by it, then that’s what I would do.” He sighed in defeat, giving up his life and all that he was with it.

 

Baekhyun smiled. The prince was glowing, a golden orange hue seeping out his skin, lighting up the forest around them in a heavenly sight, even though the prince did not realize this yet. 

“The ultimate sacrifice.” The magister said. He took hold of Chanyeol’s hand and led him back to the nest “This is what was needed. My work here is done.” He took a step back and admired the prince. 

“What are you talking about?” Chanyeol wanted to continue holding Baekhyun’s hand and as he reached out for him, he suddenly felt a warmth around his legs and then a gush of bright light stretching up from the ground. When he looked down, he saw his trousers were on fire but he felt no scorching heat, just a pleasant warmth. Baekhyun was laughing in delight a few feet away and Chanyeol was so utterly confused. 

 

“B-Baekhyun,” he called, his voice shaking with fear. “What is happening to me?” Staring at the magister in panic, Chanyeol tried to move closer to him but his feet were rooted to the ground. His body was getting hotter now but still there was no pain.  _ How is this possible? _

 

“I wasn’t done telling you the truth. You walked off before I could finish, silly!” The magister was skipping circles around the prince, giggling as he did so. “When you decide to let go of all selfish thoughts and concerns, when you put your life up for the sake of your people, as is the duty of a prince, a king, the phoenix shall rise from within.” 

 

“Ph-phoenix?!” Chanyeol shouted in alarm. The light was getting brighter and more intense. Baekhyun had to shade his eyes with the palm of his hand. “This can’t be happening! Tell me I’m dreaming. Baekhyun! What the  _ fuck _ is going on?” His whole body was shrouded in a sunset radiance, heat pouring from his body outwards and scorching the grass and plants within reach. 

 

“Chanyeol.” Baekhyun called, his voice suddenly directly in Chanyeol’s ears. Everything calmed into a slow motion as the two held each other’s gaze. “The phoenix is real. The phoenix is you. It was my duty to make you realize your power. Only once you decided to lay your life down for others, will you have been able to access the power of the phoenix. Now. get into the nest. It is there you will transform and taste your true power.” 

 

Chanyeol stared incredulously, speechless but did as he was told and stepped into the nest, crouching down on the twigs. Surprisingly, it was totally comfortable. 

 

“I had to make you emotional somehow. Whether it be anger or sadness, I did not know. But a passion inside you had to take hold through your thoughts and feelings and boost your senses into defense. Those things I said, I didn’t mean them. I love you, Chanyeol. I don’t want to lose you and I know I won’t. But you have to fight, not as Chanyeol, but as the Phoenix Prince.”

 

_ The Phoenix Prince.  _ Chanyeol was transported to his childhood years, a memory playing before his eyes. He remembered an old man, a magister, whispering to the king about Chanyeol being the incarnation of the Phoenix Prince, a dedicated warrior that saved the earth from the Devils of Dark in a previous lifetime. The king denied this but the old magister was certain. 

 

_ I’ll keep an eye on you, boy. _ The old magister had told Chanyeol.  _ I’ll send a boy to you. He’s a little shit but I think you two shall get along quite well. He’ll awaken your phoenix.  _ The king seethed against the magister’s words and had the old man exiled from the land. But it wasn’t long after, that Chanyeol had met a boy his age named Baekhyun. 

 

And now here they were. Chanyeol, your normal average prince was actually the human incarnation of a mythological creature. Baekhyun, your normal average magic user, was not helping at all. Chanyeol was freaking out, his senses going into overdrive. He felt as if he was going to explode and his Eye,  _ the  _ Eye, was growing larger within its socket. Suddenly, there was a burst of light and then  _ nothing _ . Chanyeol was alone in a black expanse, like the universe, except there were no stars. He could breathe but he could not see. And then in the distance, a muffled voice could be heard. 

 

“Chanyeol.” It called. “ _ Chanyeol _ .” It sang.  _ Where is it coming from? _ He tried searching everywhere but nothing stood out.  _ Nothing stood out _ . “Chanyeol!” Louder. It was Baekhyun, the prince realized. “Follow my voice.” He said and Chanyeol did. Slowly, like awakening from a deep sleep, the prince’s eyes opened and he could see. He didn’t just see the world as he always did. No, this was on a whole other level. He saw colours within colours. He see plants breathing and organisms’ cells mutating. He saw Baekhyun. He saw the magic coursing through his body like lightning. He saw the magister’s heart and he saw his emotions as red strings flowing from his heart to his mind. And then he saw his weakness. A tiny red stone embodied right in his chest just below his heart. Somehow, as if by instinct, Chanyeol knew this as weakness and knew this was himself.  _ He  _ was Baekhyun’s weakness. 

 

“What do you see?” The magister whispered. 

“Everything.” The prince replied. The Golden Eye. He could finally use its power and with that, he could tap into the Phoenix’s power too. He could feel it coursing through his veins, strengthening his muscles and giving him a sharper mind. Wings with incredible strength ripped painlessly from his out his arms, his skins transformed into a coating of feathers and his face sharper and sharper until a hard shell of a beak sprouted out. It was all too strange but he felt incredible. He walked around the forest floor, leaving the burnt circle of crisp grass and plants and his nest that the phoenix fire had scorched. He looked high and low, taking in everything he could and he found that he remembered every little detail. Chanyeol felt magnificent; alive in a way he never was before. It was like he was walking on air, his body light yet strong and sturdy. He revelled in it. 

 

“I think you’re enjoying this a little too much, my prince.” Came Baekhyun’s voice. He was smirking up at the smiling prince and Chanyeol wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss him, to feel him with this new power of his. 

 

Curling a finger at the magister and beckoning him to come forward, he wrapped his arms around the man as soon as he stepped into range and kissed him tenderly on the fluff of his cheeks. Chanyeol could sense the want in the magister, the desire for Baekhyun to hold the prince and keep him safe. It was as if Chanyeol could read the most intricate and secretive of emotions Baekhyun lay close to his heart. The magister’s emotions swarmed around Chanyeol in a bubble of pure bliss and love.

 

“That was amazing.” The prince remarked once they broke apart and the bubble was gone. But instead of Baekhyun smiling at him, or reciprocating the prince’s smile, the magister’s face darkened as if a shadow was passing through him. 

“This doesn’t change anything, Chanyeol. The Devils of Dark are coming soon. I can feel them. The magic in me is disturbed. It’s not flowing as smoothly as it usually does. It’s rattled, wanting to break out of me.” When Chanyeol focused his sight, indeed he could see how Baekhyun’s magic was jumping around like static. It was a little concerning even if he didn’t have the slightest idea about magic. “You know what this means, don’t you?” The magister was saying. “You have to fight.” 

 

“What?!” Chanyeol took a step back. If he was having the time of his life enjoying his new power and sight before, now he was at the opposite end of the spectrum. It hit him then.  _ Of course I have to fight. Obviously _ . He realized. He didn’t have this new energy just to go tra-la-la-ing in the forest like some tree hugger. And of course it would be him of all people. Dread settled in his gut, rooting its nasty claws in him and a darkness overcame all sense of hope and joy. Could he do this? What if he wasn’t strong enough? What if he died? What if he died and he couldn’t defeat the Devils of Dark? What would his people do then; what would happen to his  _ Baekhyun? _ He was uncertain, so much so that he started shaking as if from a freezing blizzard. Perhaps it was the storm raging inside him that made him so. 

 

“My prince.” Baekhyun said gently. He had his arms hanging around Chanyeol’s neck, looking up at the man with hope in his eyes. “Do not worry. You won’t be alone. I will fight with you.” But the idea of Baekhyun fighting the Devils of Dark and possibly losing his life in the process seemed more horrifying than fighting alone. 

So he shook his head and replied; “No. No, you won’t. You will be far away in safety. Don’t even argue with me, Baekhyun. I cannot be in battle if my thoughts are constantly worrying about you.” 

Baekhyun tsked. “What do you take me for, huh? Some helpless maiden that needs saving? Please. Don’t even go there. First listen to what I have to say, okay?” For a moment Chanyeol regarded him and then he nodded. “I will connect our spirit beings through my magic and I will keep my distance. But you will feel me and I will work through you. WIth my magic and the power of the phoenix, I will be able to direct attacks exactly to where they need to be. Remember, Chanyeol. The Devils of Dark battle in magic not swords and knives as you have been trained in. We need to do this together. It’s the only way this will work.” 

 

It made sense to Chanyeol. And it did make him more relieved to know Baekhyun wouldn’t be in direct danger. 

“What if your magic runs out or drains?” He asked. 

“It cannot. Not when it’s connected with the phoenix can it ‘run out’ or ‘drain’ as you say. With the two connected, my magic will be endless. I just cannot use it by my lonesome. I need you as a vessel, a weapon. So,” He stretched up on his heels and planted a kiss on the prince’s beak. “Will you let me use you, my prince?” He asked sweetly. 

 

Before Chanyeol could answer, however, the sky above became a bright fire red, like blood soaked heavens and a screech echoed through the air, piercing their ears. Chanyeol’s nails dug into Baekhyun’s flesh, his fear gripping him in a stone-like grasp. The magister was searching everywhere for a single glimpse. The Devils of Dark were near. This was the beginning of their battle. 

 

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol called desperately. “You need to get out of here.” The magister nodded but not before kissing the prince once more. He took the prince’s hand and with a hidden blade, sliced a line across his palm until blood slowly oozed out. Then, he did the same with his own hand. Once the incision had been made, he brought their hands together until the cuts were mirroring each other. He gripped Chanyeol’s hand and watched as drops of blood fell to the forest floor. Where blood landed, it burned through the ground. 

_ Now we’re connected. I am in you and you are in me. Can you feel it? _ The magister asked. It took a second for Chanyeol to realize that Baekhyun was not actually moving his mouth as he spoke, though he could hear him loud and clear. 

He tried it as well.  _ I can feel you _ . He replied. He knew Baekhyun received his message when the magister smiled and stepped away.  _ Telepathy skills, huh? Pretty interesting. _ He said within his mind. 

_ Yup, _ the magister agreed.  _ It won’t be like this after we’ve won so enjoy it while you can. _ Baekhyun was moving off. He had summoned another portal, to a place Chanyeol vaguely recognized. This would be the last time he saw his magister and so he took a moment to drown in the man’s image. He studied his eyes, so brown and golden in the red light. He counted the moles scattering randomly on his face and made a mental note to count every single mark on the man’s body when next they made love. Baekhyun was slowly disappearing in the portal but he could still hear his voice.  _ I’m right with you, Chanyeol. We can do this. Together.  _ And then the portal closed completely and for a moment, Chanyeol was suspended in a state of loneliness and apprehension. It didn’t last long. Baekhyun spoke up and shook the prince from his fears. 

_ Get on with it, man. We haven’t got all day and the sooner we finish this off, the quicker I can kiss you again.  _ The prince shook his head and smiled.  _ Of course, my lord _ . Chanyeol replied sarcastically. 

 

He was waiting silently in the middle of the forest clearing, hovering in the air by using his newly sprouted wings. He wouldn’t hide and try to sabotage the attacks from the Devils of Dark. He would be right there in plain sight, waiting for them head-on. The sky was still a red hue getting darker by the minute. But the noises had stopped and everything was left in a dead quiet. It would have been unnerving if Chanyeol hadn’t the phoenix’s power. He could feel slight ripples in the wind coming closer. If the Devils of Dark thought they could sneak up on him, they thought wrong. 

 

The next moment, a violent gust of wind pushed against the prince. He flew down and dug his feet into the ground, steadying himself and then heard Baekhyun confirming his suspicion that they were close. Another gust blew by from the east.  _ There! _ Baekhyun shouted and Chanyeol could feel how his body turned on its own accord and ducked, right before a giant pitch-black crow flew overhead.  _ They are birds?!  _ He exclaimed. His body ducked again when another crow came in from the north. Chanyeol could feel a strange darkness in his heart. There was something very wrong with the two creatures before him.  _ Chanyeol, be careful. There’s one more coming.  _

 

The two crows standing next to each, a few feet away from the prince, seemed harmless. Yet, their energy betrayed them. They felt like death. And then, using the sight of the Eye, Chanyeol caught a glimpse, so small and subtle, in the reflection of one of the crow’s eyes. He immediately turned around and hastily flapped to his side, narrowingly avoiding the third crow’s attack.  _ Good job, baby.  _ The magister praised.  _ Now attack! _

 

As if grabbing control of the phoenix’s power was like wearing a second skin, Chanyeol instinctively pulled from the magic within, feeling a burst of warmth explode from his soul. He levitated in the air, his body on fire and the flames licking out to meters around him. The crows screeched again and flapped in the air, trying to stay a head above the prince. But the prince was elated when he realized they couldn’t come near him.  _ Baekhyun!  _ He shouted.  _ They can’t touch me. _

_ No need to shout!  _ The magister yelled back.  _ And fighting magic is not about physical contact, Chanyeol. Watch out for their magic. _

 

In the back of the prince’s mind, he had already calculated a strategy. It seemed to him that the crows were deeply affected by his flames. He was sure he could kill him, burn them alive. But first he had to get close enough. Temparing the magnitude of his fire, he urged his flames down until they were little firematch sizes zipping along his body. The crows flapped closer. Chanyeol was building up his energy, getting ready to release a seismic wave of pure fire and energy. With Baekhyun’s magic, he would be able to send it right towards the crows with an accuracy that could not be matched. Along with Baekhyun’s power, his attack would eat up the crows in an instant, death guaranteed.

 

Out of the blue, the south side crow jabbed its malicious beak in the air, pecking at nothing, but Chanyeol could feel a pain so intense he thought he would momentarily pass out. Whenever the crow pecked, a sharp prodding sensation filled his brain, like someone stabbing a knife through his nerve stems. It weakened his concentration and the energy he had been building had been lost.  _ Let me handle it, Chanyeol.  _ He vaguely heard the magister call. WIthin moments however, the pain was left to a dull throb, one he could actually handle. The next moment, the east side crow tried to do the same and this time, as it attacked, the crow from behind Chanyeol charged towards him. It blasted a ray of red energy and paralyzed the prince completely. Baekhyun was taking care of the pain in his head but the crows were edging closer now and Chanyeol couldn’t move an inch. When a crow came right up to his face, it stretched it beak out and the prince inwardly whimpered when he realized the crow was aiming to peck out the Golden Eye.  _ Baekhyun!  _ He screamed.

_ Chanyeol, you have to do something! I’m battling inward attacks from all three crows now.  _

He had to think quick. So he gathered what little flame power he could in his incapacitated state and waited for the right moment. The minute the crow before him opened its beak ever so slightly, Chanyeol burst the flames into its open mouth and watched as the crow convulsed, flames spreading over its body and rendering the bird to ash. He watched as the ash filtered in the air, trailing away into nothingness. 

 

And then the loudest screech he had ever heard happened. He struggled to maintain concentration as his ears filled with blood. He could feel Baekhyun struggling too. The magister was still engaged in a battle of minds, trying to flee off the attacks from the birds. The sky suddenly dimmed to a red so dark it resembled blood and perhaps that was what it really was. The two crows remaining swiftly took to flight, flying up towards the clouds and then turned around, taking a nosedive towards the prince. Chanyeol tried to shield his body, using his wings as a shield.. When the crows hit him, his body was pushed so far away, all he could feel for a moment was the wind rushing past him so fiercely, it was like receiving a thousand paper cuts all over his body. 

 

The crows weren’t done. They transformed their bodies into a size so magnificent, the trees around them broke and snapped apart when they stretched out their wings. The north side crow swept its gigantic wing across Chanyeol’s body and immediately he felt himself coiling over, his arms wrapping around his stomach and blood gushed forth.  _ It didn’t even touch me!  _ He scrambled to figure out how it happened until Baekhyun spoke up.  _ I told you. They don’t need to do physical attacks. They use magic but the closer the better. You need to ward yourself.  _ Chanyeol did just that. Drawing from the well of the phoenix’s power, he placed protection shields around his body but before he could complete his spell, the next crow attacked much in a similar fashion. This time, a long gash appeared from Chanyeol’s navel travelling up towards his collar bones. He was bleeding out and the pain was unbearable.  _ Just focus on your wards. I’ll heal you in the meantime _ , came his magister’s voice.

 

The crows charged towards him, a blinding white light exploding from their beaks. It rendered Chanyeol immobile for a moment. But a revelation hit him then. The key to defeating these crows, the Devils of Dark, was to aim at their insides because that was there their power was stored. Just like Chanyeol blasted his flames towards in the inside of the first crow, he needed to do the same to these two as well.  _ Baekhyun,  _ he called.  _ I need to gather my fire and let loose my flames. Can you hold them off while I do so?  _ He desperately hoped the magister could do it. 

_ Sure.  _ Came his answer and he sounded much too relaxed. Chanyeol was confused.  _ Jongdae has joined me. He’s lending me his magic too. The more the merrier. _ He sang. So leaving it up to the magisters, Chanyeol withdrew into himself to gather as much fire power as he could. He could feel blasts coming from the crows, tearing his body apart. But the second a wound appeared, it started to heal thanks to the magisters on the other side. When he felt his body strike against a tree and his shoulder bones shattering beneath skin and muscle, he clenched his jaw but continued to draw on his power. When he felt his leg muscles torn from his limbs, he pushed forth. His body was taking a beating for the worse and he wasn’t sure he would be able to hold on for much longer. But he trusted his magister and opened his eyes. The crows were flying at a tremendous speed towards him, their beaks open wide in fury. Now was the time. 

 

With the ball of energy he had gathered and with Baekhyun’s aim, he let his flames loose. They struck the birds, immediately engulfing their bodies. They tried to fight off the fire but couldn’t; it was much too powerful. They screamed into the air, loud and piercing. Chanyeol flew towards them and blasted flames into the open beaks, setting them on fire from within too and in a shroud of red light, the crows erupted. 

 

It was over. The air was littered with specks of black ash as the birds disintegrated and disappeared. Chanyeol fell to the ground, his body no longer working. In his final hours, he thanked Baekhyun and reminded him of how much he loved his magister. Chanyeol fell asleep to Baekhyun crying out his name. 

 

It was dark when he opened his eyes again. His body was wrapped in bandages and his head was resting on something solid yet soft. When he looked up, the sky was still blood red and ash still floating with the air currents, but his heart started beating erratically when he saw Baekhyun gazing down lovingly at him. His head was lying on Baekhyun’s thigh while the magister trailed his hands through the prince’s hair, soothing and calming him. 

 

“It’s all over now, my prince.” He whispered and Chanyeol smiled. Like this, he felt as if he could sleep for a thousand millenia. The fight had been won and his people were saved. All he cared for though, was that his magister smelled so wonderful. 

In the days after the battle, the earth’s sky slowly turned back to its natural hue. The people of the kingdom had heard of the prince’s brave fight against the Devil’s of Dark and he was praised. The king had offered his throne but the prince declined. 

 

“Are you sure about this?” Baekhyun asked. He had a sack tied to his back, a walking stick in one hand while the other was clutching onto the prince’s arm. 

“Most definitely. Being a prince has its glory and all, but being with you is incomparable.” Chanyeol said. They were leaving the kingdom, on their way to who knew where. They didn’t care. They were going to travel the world together, live together, make love together until the end of their days. 

“Did my prince develop the power of cheesiness while he was fighting those crows?” Baekhyun asked with a smirk on his face. 

“I believe it was kissing you that made me so.” Chanyeol laughed out. 

 

Together they walked hand in hand, ready to face any oncoming battles. Their love proved strong enough, not an inch of doubt lingering as to how the other truly felt. They smiled at each other. 

 

Their journey was only just beginning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End.


End file.
